Step and repeat machine



Oct. 23, 1928. 1,688,786

0. CHOUINARD STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE Filed March so, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gvwewtoz I 3 f I t @51 Gama/a1 Oct. 23, 1928. 1,688,786

0. CHOUINARD STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE Fil d March so, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 avwewtoz I @511 I r Oct. 23, I928. 1,688,786

o. CHOUlNARD STEP AND REPEAT MACHINE Filed March 50, 1925 5 Sfieets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES oscAn-cHoUnvAnD, or ivnwYonn'n'Y YORK,

srnr AND imriwr MACHINE.

This invention relates to step and repeat machines i. e. machines adapted to photograph an object on a photographically sensitized plate a plurality of times in proper registration position. In such machines a unit design is reproduced a plurality of times upon a photographically sensitized member by successively projecting, by means of a lens, images of the design upon successive portions of the sensitized plate so as to produce a plate containing a plurality of reproductions of such design of a predetermined size and arranged in predetermined relative position.

Heretofore such processes have been slow and laborious. For this and similar uses the usual type of step and repeat machine or the .so-called photo composing machine has been unavailable to many lithographers and others on account of the prohibitive high cost of such apparatus.

An object of this invention is\to produce a machine applicable for this class of work, which is simple to operate, has a minimum number of moving parts, and which may be built-at a low cost, and is durable, accurate, compact and eflicient. I

Further objects of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in side elevation,

Fig tion,

Fi g. 3 shows-the apparatus in plan, and

Fig. 4' is a view showing the detailed form of the dogs 32 and 32.

Referring to the drawings (Fig. 1) The" machine is mounted on a pedestal 1 provided with feet 2-3 which are adapted to be bolted to the foundation. Vertical beveled guide 2 shows the apparatus in front elevamembers 45 (Fig. 3) are securely fastened to the respective sides of the pedestal 1 on the front side thereof and form therebetween a suitable guide-way for the vertically movable frame'or carriage 6 which is provided with bevel flanges 77 engaging respectively the guide members 45.- A worm block '8 is securel y fastened to the face of the pedestal l and is interiorly threaded to accommodate the worm jack shaft 9. which is suitably j ournalcd in a suitable bearing formed integral with the housing 10 rigidly attached ASSIGNOR '10 HUNTER'WYKES, OF NEW I NI Y.

PAT ENT OFF Applicationfiled March 30, 1925. Serial No. 19,266.

to the frame 6 and the shaft 9 is held against vertical movement by suitable means such as the collar 11 and the bevel gear 12 pinned to the shaft 9. The bevel gear 12 is in mesh wlth a cooperating bevel gear 13 pinned to the shaft 14, which is journaled in a suitable bearing formed integral with the housing 10 and held against horizontal motion by means of the gear 13 and the collar 15. A

hand wheel 16 is attached to the free end of i the shaft 14 and furnishes control means for rotation of the shaft 14. It will, therefore,

be seen that upon rotation of the control wheel 16 the jack shaft 9 will be rotated and the frame 6 will be moved vertically. A horizontal frame 17 is mounted on the '3 frame 6 and secured thereto; and is provided wlth an angular guideway 18 and a flat guideway 19 which together form a track on which a horizontal carriage 20 is adapted to behorizontally moved. A gear rack 21 is attached to the front of the frame 17 (Fig. 3) and is adapted to be engaged by a spur gear 22 carried on the shaft 23 sup-ported b the bracket 24 attached to the carriage 20. hand wheel r 25 is pinned to the outer end of the shaft 23,

and by this means the spur gear may be ro tated to move the carriage horizontally longitudinally. of the frame 17.

Brackets 26 and 27 (Figs. 3) are bolted l to the frame 17 and a torque rod 28 is mounted free to oscillate therein and is held against axial movement by the collars 29-30. A

control handle 31 is pinned to one end of the rod 28 which projects beyond the bracket 27, and by this means the rod may be oscillated.

A locking dog 32 is rigidly attached to the rod 28 adjacent the inner side-"of the bracket 26, and is adapted to engage the registration member 33 which is provided with suitable 93 serrations 34 and is removably attached to the carriage 20 by suitable means such as the dowel pins 3536. The dog 32 is preferably formed as shown in Fig. 4 and is provided with an end portion, the top part of which is a snug fit into the serrations 34, and the lower-portion is tapered downwardly. The center to center distance between serrations 34 represents the center to center distance desired between the unitary designs to be reproduced on the sensitized plate in the direction of movement of the carriage 20 along the tracks 18-19. Therefore, a scale, such as 33, may be provided with serrations 34 spaced to provide for any given predeter 11o mined successive setting of the carriage along the tracks 1819.

An angle bracket 37 is rigidly attached to vided with portions in cooperative engage ment with said track and adapted to be moved thereon. A shaft 42 (Fig. 3) is mounted in suitable bearings formed in the frame 41 free to rotate therein. Mounted on one end of the shaft 42 is a hand wheel 43 which furnishes a means for rotating the shaft. A bevel gear 44 is pinned to the other end of the shaft and is in mesh with a cooperating gear 45 pinned to a stub shaft 46 supported in a bearing 47 and carrying at its other end a spur gear 48. The gear 48 is in mesh with a gear rack 49 rigidly attached to the shelf. 38. It will, therefore, be seen that upon rotation of the shaft 42 the frame 41 is movedalong the shelf 38 in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of the carriage 20 along the frame 17.

Brackets 26 and 27' are bolted to the shelf 38 and a torque rod 28' is mounted free to oscillate therein and is held against axial movement by means of the collars 2930. A control handle 31 is pinned to one end of the rod 28' which projects beyond the bracket 27' and by this means the rod may be oscillated. i A lockin dog 32' is rigidly attached 1 to the rod 28 a jacent the inner side of the bracket 27' and is adapted to engage the.

registration member 33, which is provided with suitable serrations 34' and is removably attached to the frame 41 by suitable means, spch as the dowel pins 35'36. The dog 32 i formed substantially the same as the dog 32 and fits the serrations 34 with. asnug fit. The center to center distance between the serrations 34' represents the center to center distance desired between the unitary designs to be reproduced on the platain the direction of movement of the frame 41 along the shelf 38. A suitably serrated scale 34' may be provided for an given predetermined successive setting of t e camera frame 41 along the shelf 38. ,The machine is provided with a number] of different serrated scales 3333'; the serrations being spaced on the different scalesdepending'upon the character of units the machine is to produce. The frame 41 (Fig; 3) is provided with a flat guide 50 and an angular guide 51.which together comprise a track upon which a projecting camera may be ad usted to proper focus, as will be presently described.

The projecting camera in its preferred embodiment comprises a front. end 52, the bottom of which is rigidly attached to the frame 41.- The' end 52 is provided with an aperture in communication with thereflecting lens box 53,. adapted to reflect an image downwardly. A- bellows 54 is connected at its front end to the rear side of the end and at its rear end to the inner side of the rear end piece 55, which is mountedon the frame 41 and adapted to be moved on the track comprising the guides 5051, to thereby adjust the length of the bellows 54, tlierebyregulating the focal length of the camera. A plate box 56 is secured to the end 55 and is adapted to hold aplzite, such as 57, bearing the unitary design to be printed from. Suite able condenser lenses are mounted in the lens light chamber 59 is attached to'thelhousing 58 and carries a suitable. lamp, such as the electric light 60 controlled by a suitable switch 61 in an electrical supply circuit 62.

The portion of the end 52 which carries the lens and reflector 53, and to which the bellows is attached, is adapted forvertical movement to adjust the vertical focus of the re flected image, as is well understood by those skilled in the art.

Suitable known means, not shown, controlled by the handwheel 63 are provided for adjusting the horizontal focal length of the camera by moving the end 55, together'with the plate holder, lens box and light chamher, along the frame 41.

Operation.

lateral direction (along the shelf 38) respectively. These scales are set in place on their respective dowel pins as described heretofore. A plate, such as 5?, bearing the unitary design is now placedin the holder 56, forming a part of the projecting .ramera, and the carriage 20 raised 'to the proper position, by means of the hand wheel 16 and associated parts, to allow focussing of the camera. The finer adjustment vertically is made by suitable means, not shown, to raise or lower the front end of the camera, asis well understood bv those skilled in the art. The horizontal focal length of the camera is adjusted by manipulating the hand wheel 63.

The camera having been focussed to project a clear image of the design on the surthe hand wheel 25 rotated until the carriage 20 has been moved to the left (Fig. 3) addstance sufiicient to permit the dog 32 to be seated in the last serration 34 on the-right of the scale. The dog 32 is now released from the scale 33, and the frame 41, together with the camera carried thereon, is moved forward until the dog 32 is in relative position to engage the rearmost serration of the scale 33. This brings the reflecting lens 53 over that portion of the carriage to be occupied by the front right-hand corner of the sensitized plate carried by the carriage 20, and

into position to print the design on this por-' tion of the plate. The ground glass is removed and a photographically sensitized surface or plate, such as 6 1 (Fig. 1) is placed in position on the carriage 20 and may be held in position by suitable means, such for example as the, corner clamps 6565'6666.

Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the scales shown are provided for a unitary design which is adapted to be printed on the sensitized plate six times in each longitudinal row and nine rows across laterally, or in other words fifty-four times. Also they are equally well adapted to print an image adapted to be printed three times in each longitudinal row and nine times across laterally, or anyeven division of each scale serrations.

The operator turns on the light 60 by means of the switch 61 and exposes this portion of p the plate and turns the light off. He now grasps the lever 31 in his left hand and the wheel 25 in his right hand. After releasing the dog 32 from the serration at the extreme left he rotates the wheel 25 to move the carriage 20 to the right until he feels the tapered end of the dog 32 engage the second serration from the extreme rightcend of the scale, thus bringing the sensitized plate and camera into approximate registration position. Now by raising the control lever 31 the tapered dog is moved downwardly until the upper snug fitting portion of thedog is seated in the cooperating serration, thus bringing the camera and carriage or sensitized plate holder 20 into the exact desired registration for the second printing of the unitary design upon the'sensitized plate. The operator now exposes this portion of the plate, by means of the electric ight, as before explained. The carriage 20 is similarly successively stepped along and the projection of the unitary design repeated until the first row of exposures on the sensitized plate has been completed. The

carriage or sensitized plate holder 20 is now positioned at the extreme right with the dog 32 engagingthe serration at the extreme left end of the scale. The operator now grasps the lever 31: in his right hand and the wheel 43 in his left hand. First he releases the dog 32' fromthe serration at the rear ofthe scale 33 and then rotates the wheel 43 so as to move the projecting camera rearwardly until he feels the tapered end of the dog engage the second serration from the rear end of the scale 33 thus bringing the camera and the sensi-. tized plate into approximate printing position to project the unitary design onto the sensitized plate at the extreme left end of the second row from the front. Now by raising the lever 31 the tapered dog is moved downwardly until the upper snug fitting portion of the dog is seated in the cooperating serration, thus bringing the camera and carriage into the exact registration position for this exposure. The exposure is made as before, and the camera is left in this locked position. The carriage 20 hearing the sensitized plate is now successively stepped along to the left by means of the combined movement of the controls 25 and 31 as before explained and at each successive position of exact registration an exposure is made.- After this row is finished, the successive rows are similarly exposed until the plate has been covered with the desired number of unitary designs arranged in longitudinal and lateral rows.

The plate which has thus been exposed is now ready for subsequent use, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. It will be seen from the above that a combined registration and locking means is associated with each movable unit, i. e., the projecting camera unit and the sensitized element unit. Each of these registration and locking'means includes means for moving its associated unit to approximately the desired position, which moves the dog and scale longitudinally relative to each other; and means for moving the associated unit to the exact desired position, which includesthe dog and scale which in this instance are movable transversely relative to each other. i

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the scales need not have a single serration corresponding to each increment of distance moved, or in other words the number of serrations need not corres ond tothe number of steps desired; but a purality of serrations may correspond to each increment of movement required, or in other words the number of serrations providedmay be such that the number of steps desired is divisible therein a whole number of times.

It-is to be understood that the apparatus may be used for other purposes and in other ways than heretofore described, as will be till clearly understood by those skilled in the art.

one print on another, from the same or difi'erent'negatives, such as in color work or com-' posite work of any nature. This work mere- 1y requires a device which is capable of projecting or printing the same or component images in the same relative position successively. 1 Having thus described my invention partinularly with reference tolits preferred form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding'my invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I aim in the appended claims to cover such changes and. modifications as-are within the .scopepf-th'e' invention. What I claim is: 1. In a machine of he character-described,

the combination of means for carrying a sensitized surface, a projecting camera adapted to project an image from an image bearing means movable with said camera onto said sensitiv ed surface, a stationary part and a relatively movable part adapted to be moved to predetermined positions, said projecting camera" together with said image bearing means being attached to and movable with said movable part, a registration means detachably carried by one of said parts and provided with a plurality of locking portions spaced to provide for a series of given predetermined successive settings of said movable able one with respect to the other and adapted to be moved into cooperative interlocking engagement after said camera has been moved to a predetermined position to further-move said camera to an exact predetermined setting and hold'said camera in such position, one of said means being carried on said support and the other being carried on said camera frame,

and means to move said camera.

3. In a machine of the character described t-hecombinationof a. support, a projecting camera mountedon and horizontally movable longitudinally of said support, a registration means and a registration locking means relatively movable one tothe other and adapted tobe moved into cooperative interlocking engagement after said camera has been moved to a predetermined position to further move said camera to an exact'predetermined setting and hold said camera in such position, one of I said means being carried on said support and the other being carried on said camera frame, and means to move said camera.

4:. In amachine of the character described the combination of a support, a projecting camera and associated frame mounted on and horizontally movable longitudinally of said support, a fixed registration means and a movable registration locking means adapted to be termined position, one of saidmeans being carried on said support and the other being carried on said camera frame, and means to move said camera.

5. In a machine of the character described the combination with a projecting camera of combined positioning and positive registration locking means comprising means for moving said camera, a removable serrated scale member, and a tapered locking dog, said scale and dog-being adapted for relative longitudinal movement and relative transverse movement, whereby said camera may be moved to approximate position by means of said moving means to thereby move said scale and dog relatively longitudinally,"and then said dog and scale may be moved relatively transversely to thereby force said tapered dog into one of the serrations on said scale to accurately position said camera and lock the same in predetermined registration position.

6. In a machine of the character described the combination of .asupport, a horizontally movable projecting camera mounted on said support, positive registration-docking means carried partly by said camera and partly by said support adapted to accuratel and positively lock said camera. successiv y in a plurality of predetermined positions "on said support, a cooperating horizontal holder for a sensitized surface mounted on said support and movable horizontally transversely of the direction of movement of said camera, and positive registration locking means carried partly by said holder and partly by said su port adapted to accurately andpositive y lock said holder successively in a plurality of predetermined positions on said support.

7. In a machine of the character described the combination f a sup ort, a projecting camera mounted n and orizontally movable relative to said sup ort, a fixed registration means and a 'mova le registration looking means adapted to be moved into cooperative locking engagement when said camera is moved to a predetermined position, one of said means being carried on said support and the other being carried on said camera frame, a cooperating sensitized surface holder mounted on said support horizontall movable transversely of the direction 0 move-- 4 ment of said camera, a second fixed and a second movable registration locking means adapted to bemoved intocooperative locking engagement when said holder is moved to a predetermined position, one of said second means being carried on said support and the other of said second means being carried on said movable holder, and means for moving said camera and holder.

8. In a machine of the character a support rovided with vertical and horizontal gui eways, a frame in engagement described with said vertical guideways and adapted to. be moved vertically,'a projectin camera in engagement with said horizonta guideways adapted to be horizontally moved ongitu'dinall of said support, a sensitized surface hol er mounted on said frame and adapted to be horizontally moved laterally of said camera movement, registration locking means including a serrated scale and a dog, one of which is mounted on the support adjacent the camera and the other of which is mounted on the frame of said camera and movable therewith, one of said means being detachable, and

one of said means being movable relatively into and out of engagement with the other, second registration locking means including a serrated scale and a dog, one of which is mounted on said frame adjacent said holder and the other of which is mounted on said holder and movable therewith, one of said second means being detachable and one of said second means being movable relatively into and out of engagement with the other,

and. means for moving said camera and holder.

9. In a machine of the character described,

the combination of a support, a projecting camera mounted on said support, a cooperating sensitized surface holder mounted on said support, said camera and said holder being adapted for relative transverse motion and for relative longitudinal motion in a substantiall horizontal plane one with respect to the other on said'sup-port, a fixed registration means and a movable registration looking means adapted to be moved into cooperative locking engagement after a predetermined relative transverse movement has taken place, one of said means being carried on said support and the other of said means being attached to said movable part, a second fixed anda second movable registration locking means adapted to be moved into cooperative locking engagement after a predetermined transverse movement has taken place, one 'of said second means being carried on said support and the other of said second means being attached to said relatively longitudinally movable member, and means for causing said relatively transverse and longitudinal movements.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

OSCAR CHOUINARD. 

